The Thistle against the Crown: Chapter 8

Horatio and Dougal go to Kittery and run into a bit of trouble.

30 May 1775

Kittery, MA

Nine-and-a-half miles from Camp

     Wind had blown in dark clouds during the night and the early morning had seen a heavy rain, but it had cleared by mid-day giving the crew of His Majesty's Ship Providence a chance to begin offloading the supplies that would leave Kittery port that day for movement towards British garrisons in New Hampshire. The blue-jacketed sailors worked diligently to unload the crates and boxes from long boats to the wooden docks where they would be taken to wagons that were to carry them across land to their destination.

     The townspeople of Kittery, Massachusetts went about their day as they normally would, hardly bothered by the presence of the British. While there was tension in the air, it was not unusual for the town of Kittery to have British military forces conducting business within its borders. It was often a stop for ships moving south from Nova Scotia, or coming across from England. For some it was even a safe harbor to start a new life. Immigrants often trickled through the town in the hopes of traveling further north to speculate in cheap land. Like many port towns of the colonies, Kittery was a mix of all nationalities and ethnic backgrounds.

     Just off the docks, but still within sight of the waterfront, was the North Star tavern. The North Star was a popular place for sailors and officers to spend their leisure time and the four officers that occupied a table in the back corner by one of the windows had plenty of that while they waited for their men to finish unloading the supplies. All of the men were young, not one over the age of twenty-five. Three of them wore blue coats, while one wore a bright red coat with blue facings and cuffs. The buttonholes were trimmed in silver and two red epaulets trimmed with silver and silver tassels hung on his shoulders. A silver crescent shaped piece of metal, called a goret, hung from his neck and a crimson sash was wrapped around his waist. Unlike the three naval officers that sat with him, this man wore polished black boots instead of shoes.

     "Surely, Leftenant, you can't believe that this little rebellion will spread throughout the colonies." Major Alexander Copeland, of His Majesty's Twenty-Third Regiment of Foote stated before taking a sip of his port.

     "It wouldn't surprise me, sir." Third Leftenant of the Watch Malcolm Wilson replied, "These colonials have always seemed ungrateful for the support of the British Crown. I would cite their groaning over the proclamation of 1764, which denied them access to much of the land in the Ohio River valley. It seemed as though they would rather us fight another war with the Indian savages just so they could have cheap land. And would they be willing to settle this land under English landlords? I say no."

     "But certainly there's no cry for rebellion in New York, or Charlestown in the Carolinas." Second Leftenant of the Watch James Fairview replied.

     "Perhaps not now, but I remind you that there are delegates to this congress that they have appointed to govern themselves from those areas." Wilson said.

     "And the Carolinas are filled with Scots and we all know that they are far from a loyal people." Copeland replied bitterly, "They're nearly as bad as the Irish."

     "Scottish regiments fought with great zeal during the previous war, Major." Fairview said, "Many of them having once been part of their rebellion in Forty-Five."

     "Only because they had no other option." Copeland stated, "Scotland is a miserable country where it's nearly impossible to scratch out anything we could call a living, much less a civilized society." He paused only to take a sip of his drink, "And Ireland is just as bad. Filled with bogs and all sorts of uninhabitable lands. No wonder the people are so barbaric and behind the times."

     "But surely the Colonies have none of those qualities. People have thrived here for over a century as good, loyal subjects of the crown. Just because a few rabble rousers in Boston have called for rebellion, does not mean that the other colonies will follow suit." Fairview countered, "I've traveled a good deal of the colonies, sir, and I assure you that they have no sense of unity between each other. They consider themselves closer to England than they do to each other."

     "And that is part of the problem." Wilson interjected, "They have considered themselves equal citizens of Britain for too long. They do not know their place, and so they will rebel because they believe that they can rule themselves better than the King."

     "But I do not see what will unite them." Fairview said, "Surely you can not believe that they will want to break way from England completely. After all, they are merely causing trouble because of a few measly taxes, taxes I might add, that are less than what the average person in England pays."

     "I do believe that this will eventually lead to a cry for independence. These radicals will recruit more people to their cause, and when our military is forced to take action, they will call for independence." Wilson replied.

     "I pray you are wrong sir." Copeland finally said, "But I do hope that Lord North chooses a path like Sir Guy has in Quebec. Allow these people their religions and their cultures if it will bring peace."

     "You believe peace with traitors is possible, sir?" Wilson asked.

     "I do. When this turmoil is over the colonies will return to being British subjects and we will no doubt re-establish commerce with them." Copeland said, "Those who started this trouble will answer for their crimes of course, but the majority of the population could be pacified with a piece of legislature like the Quebec Acts."

     "I wonder, sir, if you do not sympathize with these colonials. Are you opposed to General Gage's decision to quarter His Majesty's troops in their homes as well?" Wilson asked pointedly.

     "Leftenant I believe that's enough." First Leftenant of the Watch, James Mallory said.

     "It's alright, Leftenant, it's a fair enough question." Copeland said before turning his attention back to Wilson, "I do not sympathize with them, nor do I believe that General Gage was wrong to request that Parliament require that of the people of Boston. They are subjects of the crown and therefore should welcome His Majesty's soldiers into their homes to quell the trouble. They should see it as doing their part to secure a peaceful town. However, I am a realist and I know that you can not hang the entire population of the colonies just because they were incited to rebellion by a few loud mouth trouble makers."

     The table sat quietly as this seemed to satisfy everyone's curiosity of the Major's position. An awkward silence settled over them as they all took occasional sips of their drinks. The only thing that seemed to break them from their thoughts was when the door opened and two men walked in. The officers didn't pay much attention to them as they didn't look like much. One was a tall burly man with brown hair spackled with grey. His skin was weathered and his clothes were poor as though he'd been spending too much time in the wilderness between visits to the tailor. The other man was a bit shorter and younger than his companion. He wore a dark blue coat with a plaid waistcoat and buckskin breeches. He wore black boots, and a leather belt around his waist with a rustic looking cartridge box, and a long Scottish style dirk attached to it. Both men wore knitted, woolen bonnets that they took off as soon as they entered the North Star.

     "More bloody Scottish immigrants." Copeland muttered, "Think they can come here and live their heathen life style the way they want to because the Acts of Proscription don't apply to the colonies." He shook his head, "Just a cheater's way around crown law, if you ask me." He looked at Wilson, "Now you want to worry about a people ready for rebellion, lad, look at the Scots and the Irish. Ungrateful sods who'd jump at the first opportunity."

     "A great many of them have served in His Majesty's forces both on land and at sea with great loyalty." Mallory mentioned casually, "I don't believe we have anything to fear from the Scots at least, and there has not been a loud cry for trouble in Ireland of late."

     "There never is until it's too late." Copeland responded, "And as for them serving with great loyalty, we gave them back their heathen culture if they served. I wouldn't call it loyalty as much as I would call it coercion and coercion only works for so long." Copeland took a sip of his drink, once again leaving the table in silence, unsure of what to say. None of them knew why Copeland had such a strong dislike of the Irish and Scottish but it was clear that his distaste was deeply seeded.

     "When will your wife be joining you in your new post, sir?" Fairview asked Copeland in the hopes of changing the subject to something far more pleasant.

     "I believe she will be coming over before the year is out." Copeland replied, "It will be good to have her there, make it feel more like a permanent duty station, a home." A half smile crept on his face, "All the regular officers have their wives there, so it will be good to have mine."

     "No doubt you would miss her otherwise." Fairview said, "I know my Sophia worries about me when I'm gone for months at a time."

     Copeland shook his head, "Not really." He took a deep swig of the wine from his glass, "I married some other man's Austrian widow. She needed a husband so she could keep her business and I needed a source of greater income to further my station. It worked out splendidly."

     "Surely, sir, there must have been some feelings there when you married her." Wilson naively said. He was well aware that many marriages within European society were arranged and that there were times that feelings were not a luxury that many people had but he always hoped that those he knew had the benefit of being in love with their wives.

     "Mr. Wilson, I fear you have much to learn of the world." Copeland said, "I can assure you that Zelena and I have a business arrangement and nothing more. She is another man's ruined goods and as long as we both get what we want out of the arrangement, it leaves me free to enjoy more pleasant ventures." His eyes traveled to the young woman who had walked up to their table to refill their wine glasses.

     The officers said nothing in return. Copeland had been a pleasant traveling companion thus far, but it was clear that there was more to him than any of them realized and not all of it was good. The Major had many vices and prejudices that they hadn't realized until now and it made the conversation very awkward to say the least. None of them wanted to voice an opinion that might upset the senior officer yet none of them were particularly comfortable with what he was saying. Their pleasant afternoon conversation over a few drinks had not gone quite as they had planned and they could only hope that their duties would call them back to the docks before long so they could escape the awkwardness that their conversation had created.

 

     Horatio and Dougal sat quietly at a small table just a few tables away from the British officers. They had stayed quiet and to themselves, knowing that the less of an impression they made, the easier it would be to conduct their business without any notice from the enemy that seemed to have settled, quite comfortably, in Kittery.

     "I told you it'd be dangerous here." Dougal muttered over his mug of ale.

     "Aye, but you never know what we might learn from those officers there." Horatio said quietly in return.

     Horatio had chosen the North Star for a reason. On several of their journeys back from the frontier they had come there and found Mrs. Abernathy to be a very kind woman who had offered them shelter on many occasions. Horatio just needed to wait for the right moment before asking her for the information he needed. While he waited, however, he listened carefully to what the British officers were saying. So far it was nothing useful, just some talk about home, and the Major's wife. None of it was anything that was valuable to military operations, but he knew the nature of the British military, their conversation would no doubt switch back to business before too long and that's when they would get the information they hoped for.

     "When will your supplies be offloaded, Leftenant? I'm eager to continue on our journey." The Major asked.

     The older looking Leftenant pulled out a pocket watch and opened it. He regarded it for a moment before closing it and putting it back in his pocket, "They will likely be ready in two hours."

     "We'll be leaving a platoon of Marines to escort them north to their destination." Fairview continued, "Once that is done we'll be prepared to carry you to Quebec, sir."

     Horatio quietly listened, making note that there would be a shipment of supplies heading north from Kittery in two hours bound for some outpost in the north. He didn't know if they were heading for Fort Western or further up the Kennebec, or Penobscot rivers, but either way it would be easy to track them.

     "Good." The Major said standing, "I think I will spend my last two hours on dry land enjoying some of the more pleasant activities that might be available." His eyes once again went to the young woman who had been serving them that afternoon. She was a beautiful young thing, maybe sixteen years of age, graced with a desirable frame.

     Horatio's eyes subtly followed the Major's and came to rest on the same young woman. He knew that Mrs. Abernathy's establishment was not one that catered to men's physical desires, so there would no doubt be trouble if the Major approached the young woman. He sat quietly, but watchful.

     The Major bid his fellow officers a good afternoon before walking over to the young woman who had just set the wine decanter back on the bar. She turned with a start as the Major spoke to her and the more he said the more horrified she became until she reached up and slapped him.

     Horatio stood, and Dougal with him as the Major would not let the young woman escape from where he had her pinned between two stools that sat before the bar.

     "What is all this!?" A strong female voice echoed from the stairs that lead up to the few rooms that were available to be rented.

     "I merely asked the young woman for the pleasure of her company, and she seemed to have taken offense to it, Madam." The Major responded, "I had expected a girl of her standing to not understand social decorum but if a gentleman offers his company to a lady, she should be grateful."

     "Aye, if that were indeed your intention, sir." Horatio said taking a few steps forward. The Major stood only a few inches taller than him, but Horatio didn't let that deter him, even though he could almost feel Dougal wishing that he hadn't said anything.

     "Excuse me, sir. Were you speaking on the situation?" The Major said, half turning to face the man who had just interjected into their conversation.

     "I am, sir." Horatio replied, "And you were not offering your company to the young lady, you were insinuating that she give her virtue to you, and rather crudely for a gentleman."

     "I'm sorry, sir. What business is this of yours?" The Major asked as though insulted by the very effort of having to speak to a Scotsman.

     "I am merely protecting the young lady's virtue, sir." Horatio replied firmly, "And it's quite obvious that she has no interest in giving that virtue to you, sir."

     "Jealous are we?" The Major said smirking and turning back to the young girl, "Well perhaps when I'm finished with her, you might have your turn, as she is no doubt of that persuasion."

     "Sir, I must protest." the older woman said as she finished coming down the stairs, "You insult me by making such an accusation against one of my workers."

     "I assure you, Madam, I meant no offense to you or your fine establishment." The Major replied, "And I will gladly pay for the privilege."

     "The lady is not for sale, sir." Horatio said slowly, "As both she and her mistress have made quite clear. Might I suggest, sir, that you retire to another establishment more suited to serving your needs."

     It was becoming clear that the wine that the Major had been enjoying all day was going to his head, and it was making him bolder than a ranking officer in the British Army should be. Never the less the insult was inexcusable and as a gentleman, Horatio would not stand for it. From across the room Horatio also noticed that the naval officers had risen from their chairs and were making their way over to where the Major stood in order to fix the situation.

     "Madam, I'm sure there has been a misunderstanding." the older leftenant said, "The Major meant no insult to either you or this young lady. He has been too long at sea I'm afraid." He offered a polite smile before turning to Horatio, "Sir, I commend you for standing up for the young woman's virtue, but all is well. The Major is a passenger on our vessel, so we shall take charge of him." He turned to the youngest officer, "Mr. Wilson, will you be so good as to collect the Major's hat and cape, please."

     "Sir." The young man walked past Horatio to get to the hanger by the door where the Major's blue watch cape was hanging along with his three-cornered hat.

     "Major, I think it's best we leave, now sir." The older Leftenant urged the Major.

     The Major looked back at the Leftenant and then back at the girl and then to Horatio, "Perhaps it is. This is too much work for an inexperienced w***e anyway." He took several steps forward as though he were going to leave before stopping before Horatio, "You should watch yourself, sir, some day there might not be a group of sailors to save you."

     "Trust me, sir. I don't need them." Horatio replied in a low, firm voice.

     "Come sir." The naval leftenants walked out, the oldest one nodding his head to Horatio who stood firm and didn't move in case the Major decided to turn back.

     Once the men were gone the young woman, who had tears rolling down her cheeks from her green eyes looked at Horatio, "I don't know how to thank you, sir."

     "Think nothing of it, lass." Horatio said softly, "They were wrong to treat you thus."

     Dougal stepped up next to Horatio, "So much for keeping a low profile, then."

Author's Note

This chapter introduces a character that will be a fairly substantial antagonist in Book 2, but I thought this might be a fun place to make some connections early in Book 1. It also helps add some danger and interest into the story.